


a belief in hatred

by saviorcomplex



Series: hours in the jar [1]
Category: Escape the Night (Web Series)
Genre: Arguing, Between Seasons/Series, The Jar, oh and yes this is right before s4 starts so!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:47:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26132911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saviorcomplex/pseuds/saviorcomplex
Summary: Because he cared about them, because they were his friends.But if that meant they had to hate him, in order for him to protect them, then so be it.
Series: hours in the jar [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1897651
Kudos: 7





	a belief in hatred

"You know you made them hate you, right?"

There was a tiredness that had settle over his heart long ago, it made him feel restless during the nights when he couldn't sleep. He would toss and turn and think, and, if he allowed himself, he would tear up. 

"I did what I had to."  
His voice was hoarse when he spoke, face shadowed by the darkness that lingered around the edges of the space they were confined within. There were other people here. Other victims.  
They refused to talk to him, he refused to talk to them. 

It's funny how they all have trust issues and yet they're expected to exist around eachother with all of...this going on.

"You can apologize now -"  
"I did what I had to." His voice got quieter, more hushed as he struggled to get the words out of his throat. "It just wasn't enough."

The Collector was building a new exhibit, and she made it obvious that she was going to take some of them out of this area to be put on display in it. She took some of them out, a small group at a time, and examined them, made them try on clothing.  
When her eyes landed on him, her face darkened, eyes sparking with something indescriable. She knew everything, apparently.

And sadly, the past he had going for him made him a target. 

Then again, it doesn't matter what you do. You're always a target.

"I can't make all of you guys forgive me," Memories flooded back in, drowning out his mind with horrid images of his friends' deaths. "Lauren, Alex....they - all of you will never forgive me. I've learned to live with that."  
He stood up, straightened his back and tried to look like it didn't hurt. He understood. People were feeble, they were desperate to turn on others in tough situations.  
He wasn't like that. And he wished his friends weren't like that, either. 

"All I can do is watch out for myself."

No. No. He knew he wouldn't only do that. He'd end up watching out for Alex, Lauren - everyone. Because he cared about them, because they were his friends.  
But if that meant they had to hate him, in order for him to protect them, then so be it. 

"Destorm please -"

"Gabbie," Destorm was quick to stop her, putting his hand up to motion for her to be quiet. "If I can't apologize to Tyler and Andrea, then why apologize at all? I'd rather have everyone hate me, or everyone like me. No in between. Because then you guys would turn on eachother, and that can't happen. You guys need eachother to survive, you guys -"  
"I don't hate you, Destorm." She stood her ground, narrowing her eyes as she spoke, words sharp to get her point across. "No one does. We just..." Her gaze faltered shoulders slumped a bit as she fiddled with her fingers.

People...always so easy to falter and show signs of weakness.

"We just...we got scared...back then. Yeah," She nodded, as if confirming a story to herself. "We got scared, and -"

"So you turned against me because you got scared?"

The ground began to shake, throwing Gabbie off balance as she fell against him, leaning against him for support. He saw as some people clutched to others, as some decided to try to sit. One person tried to hold his own against the dangerous vibrating.  
And yet, all he could focus on is the beady little eyes glaring at him from the lighted area of the jar. 

And none of that mattered as two people fizzed out from the jar.

And uproar came from the man who tried to hold his own, he stared at the spot they previously occupied, shock in his wide eyes, before he started screaming. He demanded for them to come back, for her to give them back.   
The self-proclaimed leader stepped up, hands up in mock gesture to make everyone calm down, fingers spread apart to insinuate a greater power. 

Destorm didn't like him very much. He always had a second meaning to his kind words, and the sympathy in his eyes were only there to mask the regret and guilt that overflowered his blood.   
Tainted. That man was, and not just by his own horrid death.

"I'm sure they'll be back very soon," Shane, the Renegade, spoke smoothly, trying to get control over the rapidly spreading panic.

"If you ask me," Destorm stepped up, eyes shining with clear challenge as he walked into the more illuminated area. Away from the shade, and into the light, all with Gabbie following closely behind. "They're lucky to get out of here."  
There was an exchange of glances, and some people were considering his word.

The beady eyes never left.

The guy who was screaming was now quiet, staring at his shoes with a long face. His shoulders trembled ever so slightly as he fell to the back of the crowd. The Professor, Destorm thinks it was.   
Another person from that damn Savant's original group. 

They yet await the third group, Shane said The Collector was talking about another new exhibit, one that's based all around the twisted tales of The Savant's latest disaster. 

"We're all in a crowded space," His eyes trailed over at the Novelist. He stared straight into beady eyes, taking in the faint black eye that circled it. "And we're already turning against eachother. Maybe they'll have a better chance out there than us."

"B - but they're gone!"  
"We can't protect them out there!"  
"There's only two of them! They won't be able to survive against her!"  
"What if she's sectioning us off to kill us?  
"What if we're next?"  
As the overlap of voices got louder, he stepped away from the chaos, watching as Shane tried to calm everyone down by splitting them up into their seperate groups so he can talk to each group and get their emotions. All so he can soothe them and reassure them with false lies.

He didn't recognize a single voice from the noise, meaning it was the original victims.  
Of course it was. No one from his group would care about someone outside of it. They were a tightly knitted group, despite their recent misfortune, which means they only care for eachother. He's sure the Thespian and the Mystic were worried sick about all of them right now, he's sure they're searching for their bodies, mourning their deaths.   
He's sure of it. And if he's sure of it, it has to be true, right?


End file.
